Gross and histological studies of the female reproductive tract of the spur-winged goose (<i>Plectropterus gambensis</i>)

Abstract

The extinction of most wild avian species is becoming apprehensive and some water fowls like the spur-winged goose (Plectropterus  gambensis) may represent a good model for research, to advance wildlife conservation of related avian species. Currently, there are no  baseline information regarding the anatomic characteristics of the reproductive tract of this species, hence; the present study aimed at  investigating the gross and histological features of the ovary and oviduct of the wild spur-winged goose. A total of five female adults  spur-winged geese with ages between eight to ten months old were used for this study. The bird were purchased from a farm and  transported to the Laboratory for quick decapitation and tissue processing. The birds were allowed to acclimatized for seven days, before  humanely sacrificed by quick cervical dislocation and reproductive organs (ovary and oviduct) were harvested for both gross and  histological evaluations. Thereafter, the ovary and oviduct were fixed, and stained with H & E for light microscopic evaluation using DB2  -180M Digital Biological Microscope at different magnifications (×40, ×100, and ×400). The gross finding on the ovary revealed that it is ovoid in shape and appeared as a cluster of sacs showing yellowish to whitish follicles of different sizes and have a poorly defined  oviductal segment. The oviduct appeared to be the longest part of the female reproductive tract (12.5-14.5cm). Histologically, the ovary is  characterized by a membrana granulosa surrounding the oocytes at various stages of development. Also, the oviduct is by simple  cuboidal to columnar ciliated secretory epithelium, and connects the ovary to the cloaca as a thin and un-convoluted tube. In conclusion,  this study provided valuable information to serve as a baseline model to further research and understand the reproductive anatomy of  other related domestic and wild waterfowl species.